Strand guide



A. F. PIEPER Dec. 22, 1953 STRAND GUIDE Filed May 5, 1952 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRAND GUIDE Alphonse F. Pieper, Brighton, N. Y.

Application May 3, 1952, Serial No. 285,835

This invention relates to a strand guide with more particular reference to the type of construction employed in winding yarn or thread from a supply spool or bobbin on to a cone or receiving package, and it has for its purpose to afford a structure that permits utilizing a guide eye of very hard abrasion-resistant material and protecting the eye effectively against breakage or damage.

Various materials have been used in forming eyes for this purpose, and in most cases have proved sufliciently soft to be susceptible to the constant friction of a strand moving continuously in contact therewith, eventually wearing and cutting into the surface of the eye, while other materials which are sufficiently resistant to abrasion are brittle and breakable when struck by a bobbin or otherwise, and it is a particular object of the invention to provide an eye of sufficiently hard abrasion-resistant material that will not be grooved or worn by movement of the strand in contact, and to support such eye in a holder so as to protect it effectively against breakage if accidentally struck as is likely to happen in the usual operation of winding machinery, and which at the same time presents no metallic surface or edge in the path of the strand.

A further purpose of the invention is to afford a protective holder that rigidly secures the eye in position, being interlocked therewith in a manner to prevent movement of the eye in any direction relatively to the holder, while at the same time protectin the eye against likelihood of breakage or damage by contact of a bobbin or other object with the portions thereof where likely to be struck and broken if not protected.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating one embodiment of the invention and showing the strand guide in approximate operative position in contact with a body of yarn being wound onto a cone;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View taken centrally through the guide arm and eye;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the guide eye and holder, the latter being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the same;

6 Claims. (Cl. 242-157) Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view on line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectionalview on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, and Fig. '7 is an-enlarged detail sectional view on line l--'! of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly tothe drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, the invention is illustrated in connection with one exemplary embodiment which includes an eye of suitable hard abrasion-resistant material, and including opposite side portions I and 2 spaced from each other by a preferably elongated op-ening.3, and connected by guiding end portions 4 and 5. The end portion 4 is suitably grooved or cut away on the underside of the eye at Band the end portion 5 is grooved or cut away on the upper side of the eye as at 1 to receive and guide the thread or strand passing therethrough while the side portion 2 is slotted intermediate its ends at 8 to permit entering a strand preparatory to feeding y it through the eye.

An eye of hard abrasion-resistant material such as described above is mounted in a protective support or holder in such fashion as to secure the eye rigidly in the holder, and at the same time protect it against fracture or damage if struck by a bobbin or otherwise, and in order to accomplish this, there is provided a metal holder that extends over a major portion of the underside of the eye in such a way as to avoid contact with a strand as it is drawn therethrough and at the same time secure the eye firmly in the holder against relative movement in any direction.

For this purpose, there is provided a metal protective holder including a base 9 that underlies and supports the bottom of the eye, extending along the side portion I thereof toa point near the outer end of the central opening 3 and spaced slightly from said opening, While ,the base 9 extends along the opposite side portion 2 of the eye to a point spaced slightly from the slot 8, see Fig. 4, so that the underside of the eye is suiiiciently protected against breakage from a bobbin or other object moving upwardly into contact, since any such obstacle will engage the surface of the base 9 of the protective metal holder and is not likely to engage any portion of the eye.

In order to secure the eye rigidly in the holder, the latter is provided with side walls I l and [2 integral with and perpendicular to the base 9 and embracing the sides of the eye. The base 9 ineludes a transversely concave portion l3 extending under the lower face of the eye as shown in Fig. 7, and engaging a correspondingly convexly curved portion I4 formed on the bottom of the side portion l of the eye, and thus the portion l3 interlocks with the curved portion or enlargement [4 on the eye and retains the latter against lateral movement relatively to the metal holder. As a further means ofholding the eye against lateral movement relatively to the protective metal holder, the vertical wall ll of the holder is provided'at its upper edge with a laterally extending lug l5 overlying the upper surface of the eye, see Figs. 1 and 3, and extending down wardly and inwardly over an inclined cut-away surface It of the side portion 1 of the eye, see Figs. 3 and 5, thus preventing movement of lug I5 and the holder laterally of the eye.

In order to prevent endwise'movement of the eye with reference to the metal holder, the opposite side wall l2 of the holder is provided with 2. lug H, see Fig. 3, that overlies the top surface of the eye and seats in a recess- [8 formed in the eye, see Figs. 3 and 5, the recess [8 engaging opposite surfaces of the lug l1 and thereby holding the eye against endwise movement in'relation to the holder.

The side walls I I and I2 of the metal holder are bent inwardly around the inner end of the eye and together with the base 9 are shaped to form a cylindrical-like sleeve l9 that receives the cylindrical upper end}! of the arm 22 which is mounted for pivotal movement toward and away from the cone or yarn body on to which the strand is being woundj as usual in winding machinery, and 23 is a solder body holdingithe upper I end 21 of arm 22 withinthe sleeve [9.

The abrasionresistantaeye is formed from suitable abrasion-resistant material with the several recesses, slot, and guiding surfaces as described above and fire-hardened; in any suitable manner, the metal protective holder being then attached with the flanges l5, l7, and portion l3 bent into engagement with their respective recesses and interlocking portions. When thus assembled, the eye is rigidly and firmly. secured inthe protective holder which is mounted onand permanently attached to the arm 22, and with this: structure, it will be seen that the abrasion-resistant eye is protected over the. major portion of its undersurface sothat it cannot easily be damaged or a broken by a bobbin or other obstacle striking it from underneath, while the yarn is free to move through the eye out oficontact with any portion of the metal holder and consequently is not engaged or rubbed: by any metal parts.

While the invention has been described with reference to the particular structure shown herein, it is not confined to the details set forth and this application is intended to cover such modifications or departures as may come within the purposes of the improvement or the scope of the having a lateral slot to'perrnit inserting a strand 3 into the .eye, and ametal. holder including. ahase underlyin and extendin over the innerend; of

subs antial'area of the inner nd of said slotted side portion, said base also extending over the opposite side portion and said holder including fastening means at points adjacent to the outer end of said opening having interlocking engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of said opposite side portion of the eye both endwise and laterally thereof and acting to prevent movement of the eye in any direction relatively to the holder.

2. A strand guide including an eye of hard abrasion-resistant material consisting of spaced side portions with an opening therebetween and connecting guiding portions at the inner and outer ends of said opening, said guiding portions being cut away on opposite sides of the eye affording strand-receiving grooves extending longitudinally of the eye, one of said side portions having a lateral slot to permit inserting a strand into: the. eye, and a metal holder including a base underlying said side portions and inner end of the eye and extending under one side portion outwardly to a point adjacent to the inner wall of said slot and extending under the opposite side portion outwardly to a point adjacent to the outer end of said opening, said holder having side walls embracing the sides of the eye, and fastening means at points adjacent to the outer end of said opening carried by said side walls and having interlocking engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of said opposite side portion of the eye both endwise and laterally thereof.

3. A strand guide including an eye of hard abrasion-resistant material consisting of spaced side portions with an opening therebetween and connecting guiding portions at the inner and outer ends of saidopening, said guiding portions being cut away on opposite sides of the eye affording strand-receiving grooves extending 1ongitudinally of the eye, one of said side portions having 'a lateral slot to permit inserting a strand into the eye, and a metal holder including a base underlying said side portions and inner end of the eye and extending under one side portion outwardly to a point adjacent to the inner wall of said slot and extending under the opposite side outwardly to a point adjacent to the outer end of said opening, said holder having side walls embracing the sides of the eye, and lugs extending laterally from the top and bottom of said side walls over the top and bottom surfaces of the eye at points adjacent to the outer end of said opening and having interlocking engagement therewith preventing relative movement both endwise and laterally thereof.

4 A strand guide including. an eye of hard abrasion-resistant material consisting; of spaced side portions with an opening therebetween and connecting guiding portions at the inner and outer ends of said opening, said guiding portions being cut away on opposite sides of the eye affording strand-receiving grooves extending longitudinally of the eye, one of said side portions having a lateral slot to permit inserting a strand into the eye, and a metal holder including a base underlying said side portions and inner end of the eye andextending under one side portion cutwardly to a point adjacent to the inner wall of said slot. and extending under the opposite side portion outwardly to a point adjacent to the outer end of said opening, said holder, having sidewalls embracing the sides of the, eye, alug extending from one of said side walls over the top surface of the eye at a point adjacent to the .outer end ofsaid opening said top surface of the eye having arecess with a downwardly and inwardly inclined bottom surface into which said lug extends and acting to prevent lateral movement of the eye relatively to the holder, and a lug extending from the upper edge of the opposite side wall over the top surface of the eye, the eye having a recess into which said lug extends and acting to prevent endwise movement of the eye relatively to the holder.

5. A strand guide including an eye of hard abrasion-resistant material consisting of spaced side portions with an opening therebetween and connecting guiding portions at the inner and outer ends of said opening, said guiding portions being cut away on opposite sides of the eye affording strand-receiving grooves extending longitudinally of the eye, one of said side portions having a lateral slot to permit inserting a strand into the eye, and a metal holder including a base underlying said side portions and inner end of the eye and extending under one side portion outwardly to a point adjacent to the inner wall of said slot and extending under the opposite side portion outwardly to a point adjacent to the outer end of said opening, said holder having side walls embracing the sides of the eye, said base including a concave portion extending inwardly from the bottom of one of said side walls and the adjacent bottom surface of the eye having a convex enlargement engaging said concave portion, the last mentioned side wall having a lug extending from its top edge over the upper surface of the eye at a point adjacent to the outer end of said opening, said surface of the eye having a recess with a downwardly and inwardly inclined bottom surface into which said lug is received and which acts to prevent lateral movement of the eye relatively to the holder, and the opposite side wall of the holder having a lug extending inwardly from its upper edge over the top surface of the eye which has a recess into which said lug is received and acts to prevent endwise movement of the eye relatively to the holder.

6, A strand guide including an eye of hard abrasion-resistant material consisting of spaced side portions with an opening therebetween and connecting guiding portions at the inner and outer ends of said opening, said guiding portions being cut away on opposite sides of the eye affording strand-receiving grooves extending longitudinally of the eye, one of said side portions having a lateral slot to permit inserting a strand into the eye, and a metal holder including a base underlying said side portions and inner end of the eye and extending under one side portion outwardly to a point adjacent to the inner wall of said slot and extending under the opposite side portion outwardly to a point adjacent to the outer end of said opening, said holder having side walls embracing the sides of the eye, means extending from the top and bottom edges of one of said side walls having interlocking engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of the eye at points adjacent to the outer end of a said opening and acting to prevent lateral movement of the eye relatively to the holder, and means extending from the top edge of the opposite side wall havin interlocking engagement with the top surface of the eye at a point adjacent to said slot and acting to prevent endwise movement of the eye relatively to the holder.

ALPHONSE F. PIEPER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 855,349 Singleton May 28, 1907 1,543,139 Whipple June 23, 1925 2,023,179 McHale Dec. 3, 1935 2,152,136 Cass Mar. 28, 1939 2,369,809 Spangler Feb. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,096 Great Britain Sept. 7, 1916 

